Yoga, known for its calming, meditative poses, can help you put your hectic life into perspective and restore your vigor for another day full of activities. Yoga is also a fantastic workout for building core strength and balance, as well as for improving posture and creating inner calm.

But you don’t have to be a deeply spiritual person to enjoy the benefits of yoga. In fact, all of you weight-training buffs grunting with the exertion of 50-pound dumbbell curls, listen up: A study from Springfield College in Springfield, Mass., shows that doing yoga after a tough workout can reduce muscle soreness by as much as 50%. That’s great news for professional body builders and the average weight-lifter alike.

So don’t be afraid to strike a pose after your next workout! Downward dog, anyone?